Results 3,741-3,760 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: From September 2012, the rates of State pension (contributory) paid to those who had a yearly average of less than 40 contributions was lowered. In recognition that these rate changes may have negatively impacted certain cohorts, in January 2018, the Government announced an Interim Total Contributions Approach (TCA) to calculate the entitlement of pensioners who reached State pension age...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 904 and 905 together. S.I. No. 230/2018 - European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018 stipulates that clothing is provided as part of the “material reception conditions”, by way of financial allowance under section 201 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, to applicants for international protection who are awaiting a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My department administers the Daily Expenses Allowance which is paid to protection applicants who reside in, or are on a waiting list for, accommodation provided by the International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) in order to meet incidental, personal expenses. Once a person has protection (refugee status or other permission to remain), they no longer have an entitlement to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: There are a number of different forms of protection which the State can grant to international protection applicants. These include programme refugee status, refugee status, subsidiary protection and permission to remain in Ireland. The term ‘protection’ is used to cover all of these. Once protection is granted, the person has a right to live and work in Ireland on the same...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Invalidity Pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and for no other reason and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. The person concerned has been awarded IP with effect from 5 October 2023 and received first payment to his nominated bank account on 4 January 2024. He received all...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department may make an Additional Needs Payment (ANP) to help meet essential expenditure which an eligible person could not reasonably be expected to meet from their weekly income. This is an overarching term used to refer to Exceptional Needs Payments (ENPs) and Urgent Needs Payments (UNPs), and certain supplements to assist with...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Community Welfare Service (CWS) in my Department provides a range of supports under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme. These supports can consist of a basic weekly payment, a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of certain expenses, as well as a single Additional Needs Payment (ANP). An ANP can be made to help meet expenses that an eligible person cannot pay from...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department shares personal data with a number of Government Departments, bodies, agencies, and local authorities, for the purposes which are set out in the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 and in other Acts. The personal data shared may include identity data, such as Personal Public Service Number (PPSN), name, address, date of birth, as well data relating to life events such as date...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions. The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Schemes (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides employment supports and services to jobseekers and employers through the Intreo Employment Service. Intreo provides a wide range of supports to assist jobseekers, including those with a disability, to find work. Intreo also provides recruitment advice and support for employers including information on recruitment and retention incentives. Employment Supports for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Schemes (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 915, 916, 917 and 918 together. My Department provides a wide range of income and employment supports to assist jobseekers and employees with disabilities, and their employers. Supports available include the Reasonable Accommodation Fund, the Disability Awareness Support Scheme and the Wage Subsidy Scheme. These supports are generally not contingent on the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Wage Subsidy Scheme is an employment support to private sector employers, the objective of which is to encourage employers to employ people with disabilities and thereby increase the numbers of people with disabilities obtaining and sustaining employment in the open labour market. The scheme provides financial incentives to private sector employers to hire people with a disability for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Policies (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 920 and 922 together. The Indecon Cost of Disability report was prepared following an extensive consultation with disabled people and disability stakeholders. This included one of the largest disability surveys ever undertaken in the State. The report identified that additional costs of disability run across a number of areas of expenditure including housing,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Policies (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a comprehensive package of carers’ income supports including Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. Spending in 2024 is expected to amount to over €1.7 billion on these payments. The Carer’s Allowance is the main scheme by which the Department provides income support to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Policies (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Disability Allowance is a payment for people who are aged between 16 and 66 with an injury, disease or disability that has continued, or may be expected to continue, for at least one year and, as a result of this disability, the person is substantially restricted in undertaking work that would otherwise be suitable. The allowance is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Policies (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Government acknowledges the valuable role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. This commitment is recognised in both the Programme for Government and the National Carers’ Strategy. The main income supports to carers provided by my department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Policies (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a suite of income supports for those who are unable to work due to an illness or disability, including autism. Entitlement to these supports is contingent on the extent to which a particular illness or disability impairs or restricts a person’s capacity to work. It is not dependent on the nature of the illness or disability. The income supports available are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Policies (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Minimum Essential Standard of Living (MESL) is an assessment of the minimum income needed to live and partake in the social and economic norms of everyday life for various household types. My Department has partly funded this excellent, detailed work of the Vincentian MESL Research Centre at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and I find it extremely useful. One of the benefits of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Consultations (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is committed to working to ensure that services and information can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people, regardless of their age, ability or disability. In developing our communications, we use the guidelines outlined in the Customer Communications Toolkit for the Public Service - A Universal Design Approach. The guidance in this...